Meant For More
by princessofthedeadsheep
Summary: Having more than one soulmate, as it turns out, is both a rewarding and frustrating experience. Wilulumitaoddemy-William/Ulrich/Yumi/Aelita/Odd/Jeremy (part of the Within The Hands of Fate series)
1. Even Apart, We Are Together

**My first polyamorous relationship story with these dorks. I'm actually absurdly fond of this one, honestly. I'm totally in love with this polyship, without shame OT6 until the end. I do plan to write at least one other polyfic for them, whether it's a part of this series or not. I'm going to die under all these series, lord save me. Also, I've recently started a new story (stand alone, for my own sanity) called A Death Wish, and yes, I am in fact shamelessly promoting it. I'm working on all the other WIPs, promise. Even Doubt. Can't wait to finish that I'll be so fucking happy.**

It's unusual to have more than one name on one's wrist. Not unheard of, per say, though in some places it might as well be. Still. Most people never had to concern themselves with it. Most had one name, and one name only, on their wrist.

Ulrich Stern had _five_.

He wished he could have hidden them, wished that the extra names were elsewhere, wished that his father didn't know. It had been hard, growing up with so many names on his wrist. People tended to be cut down the middle on whether they thought it was adorable or horrific, and, unfortunately, Ulrich's father had been one of the horrified ones. Ulrich was forced to cover them up, with long sleeves and wrist bands and even medical tape. It didn't matter what the weather was like, Ulrich's wrist was to be covered at all times. The strip of skin was paler than the rest of his body by far, when it wasn't red from irritation.

He had to lie, whenever asked about his wrist. His father had told him what to say, and Ulrich did not dare ever deviate from the message pounded into his head, the excuse that he was simply waiting to discover who he was destined for. He could still remember the words his father said when he looked at his naked wrist. _This is not normal, how could this happen to a Stern, this isn't right, this is punishment, he was doomed from birth_ and on and on and on.

Ulrich clutched his wrist at night and prayed. He didn't really know what for, though sometimes he was able to articulate his thoughts. _Let them be safe. Let them be with families that support them. Let them not suffer. Let them be happy. _When he was eight years old, one night after such a prayer he had a dream.

He was in some sort of a garden, clean and quiet, with six trees surrounding a small body of water. The water flowed between each of the trees, a stream dividing them. Ulrich lay at the base of one of them. None of the trees were fully grown, and the ground around them each told a story of its own. Two trees to his left, the third tree looked as though it were stuck in winter. Not dead, but certainly hibernating (if trees could hibernate, which Ulrich honestly wasn't sure of). The tree in between his tree and that one looked very healthy. This tree laid in rich ground with beautiful green grass and even flowers surrounding it.

On his right, there was a tree that looked a bit like his. The grass around it wasn't as green as the others, was even brown in places, like his own. Though, admittedly, there was a lot more brown patches under Ulrich's tree. Next to that tree, there was a healthy looking one, and though it wasn't as vibrant as the one next to him, it was still beautiful. The one right across from him however was strangely split. Half was green as could be, while the other half appeared to be brown.

He heard a noise come from its base, and was startled to realize there was someone under that tree. Whoever it was, they were crying, and Ulrich felt the urge to go over and comfort them. Perhaps he could...? He carefully maneuvered himself forward, getting to his feet and stepping carefully into the water in front of him. He found it reaching to his waist, not too deep, nor too cold. In fact, though he could feel it- felt it as firmly as he had felt the presence of his pillow and mattress before sleeping- it did not feel very much like water at all. He paused at the unusual feeling, but another sob from the person at the other side caused him to move forward again. He waded through the unwater-like water to the other side with little trouble, but found that stepping onto the grass at the other side was largely an impossible task. The person who was crying looked up sharply, seeming to have sensed his presence.

It was a boy, or at least Ulrich thought so. He had short blond hair and blue eyes that were clear despite the tears. He was slim, very small in stature. He looked younger than Ulrich, though not by much. He looked up at Ulrich, surprised, looked around in equal surprise.

"Who are you? Where are we?" he demanded tearfully. Ulrich shrugged helplessly.

"I'm Ulrich," he introduced himself, settling in the water. It rippled oddly around him. "I don't know where we are. I like it though. It's... peaceful. Safe." The boy nodded. He wiped helplessly at his eyes, his face clearing of tears as it could only in dreams.

"Why don't you come up here?" the boy asked, gesturing to the spot next to him.

"I can't," Ulrich said, just as his waist, which he had been leaning against the edge of his allowed space, fell forward and he hit the edge, causing his upper body to fall forward to the grass. "I mean I couldn't." Ulrich said in bewilderment as he clambered up onto the land that the boy occupied. The water barely rippled as he left it, slipping from Ulrich's body as though he was made of water resistant material.

"I-I've read about this. I think... I think this is dream sharing." the boy looked nervous. Ulrich settled down next to him in the roots of the tree, sitting on the side with brown grass, his mind glossing over the lack of wetness. "I know your name now. Ulrich Michael Stern, right? I'm Jeremy."

"Jeremy Jacob Belpois," Ulrich recited from memory. "I think I've heard of dream sharing? It's when bonded mates end up finding each other in dreams."

"That's the basic idea, yes." Jeremy agreed easily. "Though the logistics are a lot more complicated. The bond has a certain frequency, as they call it, and we have to be tuned to the same one for it to work. Usually, it's the same emotional frequency, though sometimes similar thoughts can bring it about too. It's rare in underdeveloped bonds. Right now, we aren't even considered properly bonded. It's very rare for bonded people to speak to each other like this before they've met. It's considered a sign of a strong bond."

"Really? That's good." Ulrich said absent mindedly. He found himself rubbing his hand over his bond wrist. It was empty, blank like his other wrist. It felt alien. "So why do you think we're sharing our dreams now?"

"I don't know," Jeremy shrugged. "What were you thinking before you went to sleep?"

Ulrich was silent for a moment. "I was hoping that all my bonded were happy and safe," he finally said. "I take it, since you were crying, that you weren't?"

"Well, no." Jeremy admitted. "I... I had a similar thought. I was hoping the rest of you were happy because at least then it wouldn't be so bad."

"What wouldn't be so bad?" Ulrich turned to Jeremy. Their bodies lay side by side, curled in the healthy roots of the growing tree. Jeremy hesitantly began to lean towards Ulrich. When Ulrich didn't stop him, he placed his head on Ulrich's shoulder.

"The bullying," Jeremy said, his voice becoming quiet. "I figured if I knew you all were safe and happy than it would be easier to handle." They were silent for a few moments.

"Is it just the bonds?" Ulrich asked, unable to stop himself. Jeremy tensed beside him, and Ulrich instinctively pulled him closer. Jeremy turned the half cuddle into an embrace, hugging himself to Ulrich who hugged back. The two boys shifted a bit to get comfortable.

"No. I think they just find that easy pickings. I skipped a grade so I'm younger than all the other students, and I'm the top of my class. They all seem to resent having someone younger do better than them. And to top it off, I'm the only one in the whole town who has more than one bond. Even if I try to hide it, everyone knows." Jeremy buried his head into Ulrich's shoulder. They were quiet for a moment, before Jeremy took a deep breath and continued. "The adults all think it's great, and they don't really believe that any of the kids would dare to make fun of it, so they don't really know."

"Why don't you tell them?" Ulrich asked, frowning as he tried to shift Jeremy into view with little success. "They could make it stop."

"Honestly... I don't really care. I have something they never will. I'm... happy to have these bonds. Their words can't touch that. That's never bothered me, but..." Jeremy sighed, long and deep. "I'm so lonely. No one wants to talk to me, no one likes me, and they can barely stand to be around me. I just wish I had one friend. My parents said it was only a matter of time, but... I don't know how much longer I can wait." He began to cry again, Ulrich clutching him closely, protectively running a hand down Jeremy's back as he let out the pain. They remained like that until Jeremy was better. Jeremy didn't move from where he was though, seeming to enjoy Ulrich's presence as much as Ulrich did his. "What about you?" he finally asked. Ulrich hoped Jeremy didn't feel the immediate stiffening of Ulrich's body, the feeling of withdrawal that suddenly radiated from him, but knew he failed when it was evident even in the movement of the water, which suddenly began to swish and churn where before it had been calm and silent.

"Ulrich it's okay, you don't have to tell me." Jeremy tried to soothe him. Ulrich gripped Jeremy tighter. How could he explain his fear, his shame? How could he tell someone who already suffered enough about something so trivial and yet so important? How could Ulrich even begin to express the myriad of emotions which had surrounded him practically since birth? Ulrich pulled Jeremy even closer as the water churned. Around them, the once peaceful island lost in between lapping waves of emotion, the sound of pain buzzing around.

"I'm sorry," Ulrich finally said. He didn't really explain why he was sorry- couldn't articulate it, feared it, but he promised himself he would one day be good enough for such a bondmate. One day. They stayed that way until Ulrich felt himself being pulled away from that world. It wasn't violent, but a gentle pulling towards his own zone. He was lifted from Jeremy's area and brought through the water to his own zone, where he was placed at the base.

When Ulrich woke up only a few seconds after, though he remembered the moments well enough, the calmness, the comfort, he couldn't place Jeremy's face. He couldn't remember anything but a vague outline. He knew he was blond but so was half the rest of the population of France. Still, Ulrich found himself feeling better, if in a somewhat odd way. He would protect his bondmates, who seemed to have the support of the people they loved. He wouldn't let them get hurt. He would be their protector from people like his father. He _would_ be.

Ulrich still worked hard on his work, which already caused him a lot of problems as he was not the best of students, but from there, Ulrich quickly worked to become the strongest. He was already in several sports and he threw himself into training in a way that scarcely any other eight year old boy in their community ever did.

His father was not pleased, but Ulrich was no longer working to please him. It hurt, it hurt so much, but Jeremy had already taught him something in a single night's encounter: he had something more waiting for him. Ulrich was certain, with a hum in his very bones that he was meant for more. Ulrich would be able to protect his bonded. He would fight for them as no one ever had. They were his and they needed him. It was this, more than anything else that got him through the days, through the nights, and it was this that introduced him to another one of his bonded in the shared dream world, months later.

He was pleased to wake in the dream world that he had once occupied with Jeremy, but found when he looked over that Jeremy was not there. It took him a moment to locate the person who was there, which was strange considering they were right next to him. Or, more precisely, left of him. He had dark hair, dark eyes, a square jaw and at least three inches on him. He lay on the prettiest well-kept ground. He looked over at Ulrich with mild surprise.

"Hello. You must be one of the others. Jeremy mentioned he met Ulrich."

"I'm Ulrich. Who are you?" Ulrich asked.

"I'm William."

"William Anthony Dunbar," Ulrich said with certainty.

"That'd be me, Ulrich Michael Stern," William gave him a charming smile. Ulrich returned it with a more reserved one. William chuckled. He reached toward the edge where the stream ran between them, deeper than it appeared to be. "May I?" Ulrich looked at him considering for a moment. He figured that the permission thing was important, and Jeremy had probably told William about it too. Did he want William to be so close? Well, William was already close, wasn't he?

Ulrich gave William a nod. William reached over and grabbed Ulrich's hand, their hands fitting together with ease. Ulrich had a feeling that the dreamscape helped with that more than a little. William stayed on his side, seemingly not willing to push too far.

"So what brings you here Ulrich?" William asked teasingly. "Were you thinking of exercise?" Ulrich blushed (and why couldn't he control that in a dream, of all places?) but nodded.

"I want to be strong," Ulrich whispered. "I don't anyone to be able to hurt any of you." Ulrich said it with conviction, despite the quietest of his voice. William's expression softened. He reached forward hesitantly, and this time Ulrich was the one to make the move. Ulrich leaned forward, meeting William's outstretched hand, carefully placing his face on William's open palm. They stayed like that for a moment, the stream below them, separating them by the slimmest of margins.

"You have a good goal," William told him, "but don't neglect other things that are important to meet it."

"Nothing else is important," it slips through Ulrich's mental grasp and into the dream world before Ulrich even realizes its significance. William, however, does not miss it. His eyes go wide and he grips the side of Ulrich's head for a moment, before he relaxes it and runs his hand through Ulrich's hair.

"You don't mean that," William said, though the look in Ulrich's eyes tells him he does, and Ulrich knows it. William looks concerned, but also as though he has no idea how to approach the issue at hand. "Just take care of yourself, okay Ulrich? I worry about you." William settles on this response, still looking edgy. Ulrich's smile, before subdued, now shines through his eyes and takes up his entire face. It is enough, for now, to put William at ease.

"I will," he promises. Ulrich is the one to pull William into a hug which is gladly accepted. It feels beautiful in a way only the emotional symmetry of the place can even begin to describe. They shift themselves over the water, which in itself shifts to suit them, and they remain together, connected in the line between until they are both called back to consciousness. Ulrich woke with a smile on his face, and he couldn't help but think of how wonderful it all was. He was already loving the people he was meant to be with, and he bit his lip in the hopes of keeping a goofy smile off his face. He couldn't wait to meet the rest of his bonded.

His joy did not last, however. As he made his way downstairs and toward the kitchen, he caught sight of his mother's face. She looked grim, making his stomach churn. Even at home, his mother was known for her stoic response to all that his father did, from decision making to yelling, there was little that could make his mother change expression, a result of her 'good breeding' as his father called it.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately. She merely shook her head at him.

"Nothing, nothing," she responded, though she cast a backward glance towards the door just as the yelling began.

"Why's dad yelling at Hild?" Ulrich asked, his hand shaking. Hild was so nice to him. He loved Hild, he really did. She was a balm to his father's hatred, to the feelings of worthlessness that piled into him as his father lamented a child born with many soulmates. She made him feel worth something.

"Your father is... displeased by her work lately," his mother said. There was a disapproving line around her mouth. She didn't need to continue for Ulrich to understand what was happening. Fear rooted him to the spot. If his father had made a decision, than it would be followed through. His father rarely changed his mind.

"Ulrich, perhaps you should return upstairs for a little while." His mother, lips still drawn in a firm line, gently touched his arm. Ulrich refused, standing stock still. He could swear that he heard his father angrily say his name.

"He isn't going to fire her, is he?" he asked his mother desperately.

"I don't know," she admitted, "but I really think you should go back upstairs." She tried to pull him away, but Ulrich would not be moved.

"He can't. He can't fire Hild." Ulrich said it blankly. It couldn't be. Hild had been there for ages, way before he was born. She was his nanny even now, when his parents didn't want to deal with him. "What would we do without Hild?"

"We'd hire someone else," his mother replied, regaining her unflappable demeanor more and more with each moment.

"We can't. Hild's family." Before his mother could respond, there was a slamming door on the other side, signaling the end of the conversation. Only a moment later, his father marched into the hallway, still looking furious. He glared at Ulrich, who cast his eyes down and hunched his shoulders automatically.

"Straighten up boy!" Ulrich fixed his posture without a flinch at his father's tone. His mother gave a delicate cough to turn his father's attention to her.

"Should I begin to look for a new housekeeper?" she asked delicately.

"Not yet," he said darkly, "but keep it in mind." His father stalked off to his study, leaving wife and child behind. As soon as his father was out of sight, Ulrich barreled past his mother and through the dining room into the kitchen, where Hild was working. She was continuing breakfast, muttering to herself in German.

"Hild?" Ulrich walked toward her questioningly, his voice shaking. She turned to him, her face softening. Ulrich ran toward her, wrapped his arms around her waist and tried not to cry as he shook with the fear that had ensconced him only a few minutes ago. "I'm sorry."

"It isn't your fault, child." She told him, rubbing her arm down his back, careful not to accidently brush his clothes with the flour on her hands.

"But I heard dad say-"

"That is a matter between me and your father. Don't you worry about it." She told him sternly, he could feel her wipe her hands on a cloth before she leaned down and hugged him properly. "Your job is to take care of yourself for me, you understand?" hesitantly Ulrich nodded, though he didn't really believe her.

"So you won't leave?" he asked desperately. She pulled back and put a hand on his cheek.

"No shatzie, I won't leave. I'm sure once your father has calmed down, everything will be fine again. Now, how about you help me make breakfast." Ulrich nodded, sniffled, and got to work. He spent most of the day trailing around after Hild, helping her out and generally trying to stay out of his father's way, as he always did when his father was in a spectacular temper. His dreams that night were once again visited, this time by a girl. She was across from the tree that looked like it was hibernating, and she looked as upset as he felt. The water looked more like a raging sea than a pond now.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately, jumping down into the pond between them (which thankfully allowed his passing easily) and wading over to her. She looked over with dull surprise.

"My mom might die," she said, her tone overcast with pain. "She was pregnant with another baby but the doctors said it was too dangerous and daddy told her that maybe she shouldn't have the baby but mom wanted to try so she ended up bleeding all over." She said it all in a rush, and Ulrich wasn't quite sure he understood what she was saying, but he made a sympathetic noise and she reached for him, allowing him to enter her zone to comfort her.

He did so, silently offering her comfort as she leaned against him, telling him all about how she was worried about her mother and how her little brother was depending on her as well as her father because she was the oldest and she had to keep it together while her father took care of her mother and she wasn't entirely sure what to do. He listened and soothed, glad to be able to help his soulmate. His own suffering was not nearly as important as hers. Finally, she calmed down, her mind and easing with the comfort. The waters calmed down some, though waves still lapped at an unusual pace in front of them.

"What happened to you?" she asked, and Ulrich felt bad about being so upset. After all, no one he knew was dying.

"Nothing," Ulrich shook his head, and smiled at her. She didn't return it.

"Jeremy said that we connected when we were feeling similar emotions. So you must have been really upset too. What happened?" she insisted.

"It wasn't nearly as bad-"

"I don't care about that!" she exclaimed, surprising Ulrich. "Hasn't anyone ever told you that you shouldn't compare suffering?"

"No, they haven't," Ulrich said, frowning. "In fact, my parents always tell me to think of the children in Africa when I'm upset, because I don't have it as bad as them. Sissi just says it isn't nearly as bad as whatever she's been through that week. Hild listens, but I think that's a part of her job." The girl stared at him.

"That's not right!" she finally declared with authority in her voice. "Your feelings are just as important as anyone else's! And don't let anyone tell you differently!" She said, jabbing Ulrich hard in the stomach, though he couldn't really feel it.

"Um... alright." He agreed hesitantly, not really believing her.

"Alright, so tell me what happened." She looked at him determinedly.

"You really want to know?" he asked surprised.

"Yes! Tell me!" she demanded impatiently.

"Alright, alright!" Ulrich said, a little wary of this bossy girl. She glared at him for another moment, causing him to hunch his shoulders and look away from her as he finally responded. "Dad got angry this morning and he threatened to fire Hild."

"Who's Hild?"

"She's our housekeeper. She's been with the family for a long time. She takes care of me when mom and dad do things, or when they want me out of the way. She's really nice. And it's all my fault that dad was angry because I haven't been able to keep my grades up and have been trying to get stronger instead."

"It's not your fault," she said, pulling him into a hug. "Adults are weird. They do all these weird things I don't think I'll ever understand. Don't worry Ulrich, I'm sure the adults will figure it out. They usually do."

"But what if that means dad fires Hild?" he asked her anxiously, not even thinking about the fact that she used his name.

"Well if she's been with the family for a long time than I don't think he will." Yumi said. "Like when I fight with Hiroki, he's still family so even though we argue we make up eventually and everything is okay again, even if he is really annoying. People who are around for a long time are like family."

"You really think he won't?"

"Nah," she shook her head, "adults yell at each other all the time. Mom and dad fight about everything. Me and Hiroki, money, the new baby..." she went quiet and Ulrich turned to her, looking guilty.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she smiled at him. "I'm sure mom will be okay, and I'm sure your housekeeper will stay with the family. Everything will work out. You'll see." She wrapped him into what would have been a bone crushing hug which he gladly reciprocated. As they both felt better, they began to talk about other things.

"I'm nine, almost ten." She told him, "My birthday is in about two weeks."

"Really? Happy almost birthday. I just turned nine not too long ago."

"Well then happy late birthday," she grinned. "I'm Yumi, did I mention?"

"No, but I know you knew my name. Who told you?"

"Jeremy and William both mentioned it. I told Odd too, but he said he hadn't met anyone but Jeremy yet." Yumi said, before she got a thoughtful look on her face. "That was a while ago though, so it's possible he's met William by now. Have you met him?"

"No, not yet. I haven't met Aelita either." He said, pronouncing the name as eel-ita, having been forced to sound it out on his own.

"No, I don't think anyone has. Jeremy says it's probably pronounced 'eye-lita', and that she's probably a girl. That's her tree," Yumi said, jerking her thumb in the direction of the hibernating tree. "Jeremy thinks that something's wrong and that's why none of us can communicate with her."

"Really?" Ulrich said anxiously. He certainly didn't want something to be wrong with any of his bondmates. Yumi nodded.

"He's worried about it, you can tell. I think he's been trying to find her, but we woke up before we could really talk about it." She sighed. "We've been here a while. I bet we'll wake up soon too."

"Probably," Ulrich agreed, "and when we wake up, things will be better."

"Yeah," she smiled at him, "things will get better. After all, in the future, I'll meet you." Ulrich woke up with a raging blush on his cheeks. It took five minutes for it to die down.

**Shatzie is a German endearment that means treasure. It's often used as a sort of pet name for children. My Oma called us that all the time, though with her accent i always thought she was saying 'shatzlie'. There, learned something about me I'm sure none of you knew before.**


	2. I'm You and You're Her?

**Sorry this took so long, but these chapters are longer than a lot of my other fics, so they take a bit longer for me to get out. I'll probably be getting the next chapter of Strings of Fate out soon, but it might take some more time. That one's fighting me some. Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Things for Ulrich settled into a new routine after that. His father calmed down, yes, but Ulrich was still terrified that he'd decide they really could do with another housekeeper. Hopeful that this could be avoided, Ulrich obediently studied each night before and after dinner, reserving his extra training for the hour after he got home from school and his father had yet to return from work, as well as using some of his lunch time. Most of the other kids ignored him, except for Sissi, who would still hang out with him regardless of whether or not he wanted her to.

She gave him the debilitating sickness that triggered the body switching some time later. Body switching happened all the time, and was possible to do before you met your soulmate, though that was somewhat rarer. It didn't happen unless one of the soulmates was very sick, and for the most part, they'd all been very healthy. Never did a mild illness trigger anything before a bond had been properly made.

Sissi had given Ulrich a rather intense stomach bug, which was how Ulrich opened his eyes to find himself in Yumi's body. He blinked several times in confusion, before he realized what had happened. The first feeling was relief- he hated being sick- but then, he realized if he was here, one of his bondmates was in his body. Eyes widened and breath quickened as Yumi's body reacted to his emotions. He curled up in the unfamiliar body and clutched his legs, burying his face into them. Maybe, if he was lucky, they wouldn't try to talk to his father. Was his father at work? He couldn't remember through the panic. Maybe his father would avoid him completely because he was sick. He could only hope, because he didn't know how to change the body swap other than everyone telling him that it would happen naturally.

"Yumi, are you okay, Yumi?" A voice was asking him. It took him several moments to clamp down on the fear, and to realize the person was speaking foreign words now.

"I'm not... not Yumi," he said, lifting his head up to see a little boy who must have been related to Yumi somehow. The boy's eyes widened and he ran out of the room shouting. Moments later a woman came in. Yumi's mother, he supposed.

"Hello there. Hiroki says that you told him you weren't Yumi, may I ask which one of her bondmates I'm speaking to?"

"Ulrich," he muttered, not quite sure how the woman would react. She gave a pat on his- on Yumi's- shoulder.

"Yumi's spoken about you. It's a pleasure to meet you Ulrich. I'm Yumi's mother. Are you alright? I know the first body swap can be really disconcerting." She smiled kindly at him, and he smiled hesitantly back.

"I'm okay, just worried about the others." He said, still clutching tightly to Yumi's knees.

"Is there any particular reason?" she asked, running a hand over his (Yumi's) hair. He just shook his head, not looking her in the eye. She frowned at him, but then drew him into a hug. He was still pretty nervous but he returned the hug. "Well, I'm sure they'll all be fine. Come on, you can spend the day here. I don't really want you to go to school for Yumi, so we'll call in. Are you comfortable in these clothes? I can help you get into some different ones if you would prefer."

Ulrich hadn't honestly thought about what Yumi was wearing. He looked down and noted that Yumi was wearing a large shirt and pajama pants. The shirt was black, the pants were red. He shrugged.

"This is fine," he muttered. Yumi's mother smiled at him and held out her hand, which he took. She led him downstairs to the table where there was a man saying something to the little boy who had been there when Ulrich had woken up. The two looked up as they entered. Ulrich couldn't help but cringe back. This was so, _so_ awkward. He was acutely aware of the fact that Yumi had a very different anatomy than him, and it was hard not to think about it, especially in the ungraceful movements as he tried to adjust to the difference in height. Yumi's father glared at him, causing Ulrich to immediately flinch into the woman at his side, nearly tripping them both.

"Takeo!" Yumi's mother cried. Ulrich shot a glance in her direction to see her giving her husband an even fiercer glare. She turned to Ulrich with a softer expression. "You can sit across from Hiroki. I'll call the school."

Awkwardly, Ulrich did as he was told, looking warily over at the man who was still giving him the stink eye. "You hurt my daughter, and I will hunt you down, you hear me boy?" he hissed at Ulrich, who quickly gave a nod, though even his fear couldn't stop the slightly offended look that crossed his (Yumi's) face. "What is it?" the man asked upon seeing this look.

"I would never hurt Yumi," Ulrich said with sincerity. "I'm going to protect her- protect all my bondmates- and become strong so I can beat up anyone who tries." This seemed to break the ice between him and Yumi's father. The man's harsh expression cracked, before disintegrating completely.

"That's good then," he muttered, and he ruffled Ulrich's (no, definitely Yumi's) hair. Things became a lot more relaxed after that moment, and when Yumi's mother came back into the room, Ulrich was being interrogated by Hiroki, who was absolutely fascinated with the fact that Yumi had body swapped.

"What's it like? Can you tell where she is? Is she in your body? What's it like?" Hiroki just kept asking questions as poor Ulrich tried to respond.

"Hiroki, stop bothering Ulrich," Yumi's mother scolded her son.

"But mom-"

"No more. _You_ have to go to school today, so you had better finish your food and get ready to leave." Hiroki grumbled a bit, but finished his breakfast before hopping down from his seat and going to get his book bag.

"I'd better get going as well. I'll drive Hiroki to school so you can look after Ulrich here." Yumi's father gave Ulrich a pat on the shoulder and he headed out of the dining room calling for Hiroki.

"Well, we'll be sure to keep you entertained," Yumi's mother smiled at him, and he smiled tentatively back. "Are you going to eat any more?" she asked, looking down at the food Ulrich had barely eaten. He shook his head. Yumi's body was already adjusted to Ulrich's emotional state, making her stomach tie in knots, so Ulrich (who did not feel like eating) wasn't dealing with a hungry body. "How about you help me with clearing up then?" Ulrich nodded, but got up clumsily despite his best efforts.

Ulrich followed after her and kept quiet as they worked. She had him wash the dishes, something he had done often with Hild. Despite the strange new body, he managed to keep from dropping the dishes and he was extra careful as he moved, though he still managed to knock over some bottles when he was reaching for more soap. "Sorry, sorry!" he started apologizing profusely as burning hot water ran over his hands, the knob having been turned as things fell. Yumi's mother quickly moved his hands and turned off the water, wrapping his hands in a towel.

"It's alright," she soothed him, carefully wiping the hot water off of his hands. "It was an accident. I know how hard it can be to control your new body after a body swap. It takes quite a bit of getting used to." Ulrich quieted, his breathing hard. His hands (no, no, _Yumi's_ hands) hurt, though they were quickly recovering from the burning sensation. Yumi's mother pulled him into a hug. He felt strangely tense but he refused to move as she ran a hand down Yumi's back. They remanded that way for a minute before Yumi's mother released the hug and rearranged the bottles back on the sink counter. Ulrich was still breathing heavily, his eyes slightly glazed as he tried to bite down on the panic. He really didn't want Yumi's parents to hate him. He really wanted everything to be alright.

"Ulrich, are you ok?" Yumi's mother bent down to look into his eyes, but Ulrich looked down before nodding quickly. He moved to start doing the dishes again, but she stopped him. "Let's try to limit the amount of differing temperatures you have to deal with. Do you mind putting the condiments away?" Ulrich nodded rapidly, before carefully returning to the table and returning the condiments to what he assumed were there proper places. It didn't take him long, but by the time he was done, so was Yumi's mother.

She helped him dress in some casual clothes, and during most of the dressing he blushed profusely while he held Yumi's eyes tightly shut, doing whatever her mother said. By the time she was done, Yumi's mother had dressed him in a pair of jeans and a short sleeved blue shirt with a flower on it. She placed a butterfly beret in Yumi's hair, saying something about keeping it out of his face. Ulrich had been fiddling with Yumi's wrist since it had been left open by the removal of the night shirt. Turning it around to stare at it, rubbing his hand over it; so much so that Yumi's mother couldn't have failed to notice. Still, she said nothing.

After that, she took him to the market so that she could buy that night's dinner. "I think we'll have something a bit traditional so that you can get a taste of the Japanese style. But I don't want to overwhelm you, so we'll keep things relatively simple, alright?" she smiled at him, and there seemed to be no lingering anger at his mess up before, so Ulrich allowed himself to smile, tentatively holding the hand she held out for him when they arrived at the marketplace and watching as she bought all sorts of different foods.

Ulrich was used to the open market; he had been there many times before with Hild before he was old enough for school, and even since then on days off. But this was a different market than the one he was used to, and he feared getting lost. It was busy, mostly with other women, but the occasional man was within the crowd. Some had young children by their sides, some spoke with friends, and the atmosphere seemed to be somewhat friendlier than at the market by his house.

"So you've brought the young Yumi with you today?" Ulrich looked up as a man selling fish spoke of him.

"Ah, not quite. It seems our Yumi has had her first body swap. I didn't want to send him to school in Yumi's place." Yumi's mother said, placing a hand on Ulrich's shoulder.

"Her first body swap! She's awful young for it, but perhaps it's better with the innocence of youth to keep the thoughts pure." He gave Yumi's mother a wink while Ulrich just stared on with obvious confusion. "Anyway, congrats boy. Your bond is bound to be a strong one. Here, have this," the man reached for something behind him, pulling off his gloves as he did so. He turned around again with a cookie, wrapped in disposable paper. "Nothing like a sweet treat to start the day. My wife just made a batch of these."

Ulrich took the cookie, still warm in its wrapping. "Thank you sir," he said politely, and the man smiled at him before he finally turned to Yumi's mother and got to her purchase. Ulrich stayed quiet, nibbling on the cookie as he waited. It tasted almost exactly like the chocolate chip cookies that Hild would make him sometimes, and the familiarity of it was comforting.

Before he knew it, he was left with nothing but the paper. Instead of throwing it out, he found himself wrapping it around Yumi's wrist, over the names. He felt better when they were out of sight, felt naked when they could be seen, like he wasn't wearing any underwear. He ripped off a piece of the paper and tied a bow (Hild had taught him, when he had been learning to tie his shoes) over the wrapping. There. Wrist covered. He didn't notice that several people were watching him until he was done, causing him to flush scarlet and hide in Yumi's mother's coat. He felt a hand on the side of his head and looked up hesitantly to see that she was looking down at him sympathetically. There was something else in her expression, something he didn't quite understand but had seen on Hild's face and his mother's face. He would come to learn it as sorrow.

When the shopping was done they returned to the house, bags in hand, and Ulrich was told to go ahead and explore the first floor for a while as things were put away. Hesitantly, Ulrich began to walk around the house, with the quiet of a cat that didn't wish to be bothered. The house was Japanese styled, but Ulrich didn't really know a lot about the culture. He admired the way the doors moved, the comforting feel of the living area, the tidiness with hints of life here and there. A cushion out of place, a bit of dirt in a corner, things that breathed life into the space that Ulrich rarely saw in his own home. Even his own room was kept obsessively organized to please his father when he came to check on him. Ulrich found himself looking at a game board with black and white pieces covering it. He picked up one of the glass pebbles, a black one, and ran it through his fingers. It fell from them to clatter on the table as he heard Yumi's mother talk from behind him.

"It's called Go. It's a fun, easy game. Yumi likes to play it with her father." She smiled at him even as he blushed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Do you want to play?" Ulrich hesitated, but ultimately his curiosity won out.

"How do you?"

They spent the next several hours playing the game, and once Ulrich understood the game well enough, he began to ask about some of the things that had surprised him about their house, and she explained Japanese culture to him. By the end, Ulrich began to get over his immediate shyness and he was able to giggle and laugh with Yumi's mother. She even pulled him into the kitchen as she began to prepare dinner, talking to him about the different foods and how she made them while Ulrich watched on from a safe distance. By the time Yumi's father and brother returned, Ulrich had already been told to call Yumi's mother Haha, a Japanese form of mother. Though the word felt foreign even when said with Yumi's lips, Ulrich found himself warmed by the acceptance she showed him.

Ulrich forgot about his worries, for the most part. He relaxed and had fun with Yumi's little brother when he came home, teasing him before dinner and then talking evenly with her father, who seemed to have warmed up to him. It made Ulrich happy to think one of his soulmate's families actually likes him. Yumi's mother put him to sleep that night, and he was surprised to find himself in the garden again, with nearly all of his bonded there- except Aelita.

"So you're Ulrich," someone said from beside him. He looked over, to see a boy with blond hair with a purple splotch in it (did he dye it that way or something?) who examined him with curiosity.

"You must be Odd. It's nice to finally meet you." Ulrich gave him a tentative smile.

"It's nice to meet you, and not be randomly placed in your body. Especially not your sick body. Being sick sucks."

"You were in my body‽ Are you alright?" Ulrich asked, alarmed.

"Yeah, Hild took care of me. Why wouldn't I be alright?" Odd asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't he be?" William asked, and with a start, Ulrich realized all of the others were looking at him curiously. He blushed and looked at the ground.

"Because I was sick," he said, though the lie was betrayed in the discontent of the water around his area, which rippled unexpectedly and the branches of the tree which swayed in the breeze that engulfed him and made him shiver. He felt his own shame rise within him, felt himself choke on it. He grit his teeth against it, dug his hands into that ground, but it only furthered the hurt in his heart. He could not deny these emotions as they rippled through his space, and he feared looking up at his soulmates.

"Ulrich, are you alright?" William was asking him, and Ulrich just shrugged, pulling his knees up to his chest and looking at the turbulent water in front of him.

"I'm fine. I am. I'm fine." He forced himself to believe it, and the water stopped being so turbulent, the breeze behind him ceased. The disturbance was no longer his own, as his soulmates too were feeling the effects of his lie, but he shook his head, still not looking up all the way, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. "I don't know what came over me. I'm fine now. Really." He gave a half smile, forced himself to relax his posture, drop his knees to the ground.

"Are you sure?" Odd asked him sounding worried, but Ulrich only nodded.

"Yeah, why are we all here, anyway?" Ulrich asked, changing the subject. Looks were exchanged over his head, which he never noticed.

"Probably because of the body swap, I imagine." Jeremy said.

"Body swap? What body swap?" William asked, now completely distracted from Ulrich. They all looked at him confused.

"Ulrich and Odd were just talking about it." Jeremy pointed out.

"Yeah, but I thought they just switched or something. I was... asleep. It was Thursday yesterday."

"No, it was Friday yesterday," Yumi said. "Why did you sleep through it?"

"Wait, who went where? I went to Ulrich's, where'd the rest of you go?" Odd asked.

"I went to you," Jeremy told Odd. "What a ruckus..."

"I went to Yumi's." Ulrich said.

"I went to Jeremy's," Yumi added.

"So who went to my house?" William asked.

"Maybe it was Aelita!" Jeremy said, excited. "Ask your parents and tell us what they say. Maybe you slept through it because Aelita is sleeping through it. Maybe that's why we can't get to her!"

"But if she's sleeping, wouldn't she just be here all the time? How is she body swapping but not coming here?" Yumi asked, baffled.

"I don't know." Jeremy admitted. "I'll have to do more research. Still, this is the best lead we have so far. If she showed up at William's house, than at least she's alive." Relief was a palpable feeling at that thought. Their garden soothed and became stagnant and peaceful once again.

"Hey Ulrich," William said after a moments silence. "Mind if I come over?" he asked, gesturing towards Ulrich's space.

"Um... I guess not," Ulrich muttered barely glancing over before he refocused his eyes on the ground. The others were looking at him again, he knew they were. Ulrich was surprised and a little bit frightened to see the arm about to wrap around him, started to panic as they closed around him.

"It's alright," William muttered in his ear. "I'm not going to hurt you, not ever." There was a firmness in William's voice, and Ulrich felt himself drawn to it. He found himself clutching the arm in front of him a little shyly, still not quite looking up. William gently pulled him towards the pool and Ulrich let him, and together they entered into the pool where the others had already descended. The others each pulled Ulrich into a hug, and though Ulrich's face burned, he felt very loved in that moment. Maybe they wanted to ask, but they didn't, and that mattered to him as well. Ulrich tried to cling to all of them, though it was a largely impossible task, and before long, Ulrich woke up in his own bed, with a lingering feeling of love still within him.

This was a lucky thing, because it may not have been so easy for Ulrich to get through the day otherwise. Ulrich had barely even begun to get out of bed when his father stomped very angrily into his room, grabbing his wrist and yanking it out so he could see it. The names were still there, as always. Ulrich bit the inside of his check to keep out the sounds of shock that tried to get through. He rarely slept with anything on his wrist.

His father said nothing as he pulled medical tape out of his pocket and began wrapping it around Ulrich's wrist, far too tightly. Ulrich could feel the circulation cutting off as he did it, his father's anger making him wrap it so tightly, Ulrich wasn't even certain he'd still have his hand after this.

"You don't take that off, you hear me?" His father yelled at him. "I don't want to see that wrist of yours, and you better do your best to stop this body swapping." He turned abruptly, stomping out of Ulrich's room and leaving Ulrich breathing heavily as he moved to get dressed. Hild came in shortly after.

"Oh, I'm so sorry shatzie. I couldn't not tell him. You know how your father is. Now, let's see if we can't get this off." She had him submerge his wrist in a tub of baby oil she had kept for this purpose, and once she was satisfied it had soaked in enough, she began peeling the tape off. It hurt some, but that was more from the rushing blood as feeling returned to his fingers. "There we are," she soothed him. She wiped away the tears he hadn't realized he was crying. "Don't you worry shatzie. One day you'll be out of this house, and I promise things will get better." She smiled at him, and he tried to smile back.

He and Hild rewrapped his wrist so that he wouldn't lose his hand, and his father kept stomping into the room to check it, often yanking up his sleeve to do so. It was downright disturbing at times. It was, unfortunately, not an unexpected occurrence in this household. Ulrich didn't think he'd have made it through the day if he hadn't thought of William's words, of the way his soulmates had held him. It was a very distressing day, and Ulrich was relieved when he fell into dreamless sleep that night.

His soulmates however, did not. They converged in the dream world without him.

"Do you think Ulrich is alright?" Jeremy asked, glancing over at the spot Ulrich usually occupied.

"I hope so," William sighed, "I get the feeling his family isn't all that nice."

"Mom said he seemed really scared at first," Yumi said. "She was really worried, started telling me to be really careful about what I say to him about family. That not everyone has a loving one." She frowned. "And when I woke up, I had something tied over my wrist. Mom said Ulrich did that, and he seemed to be really weirded out by being able to see the names."

"I don't think his parents like him having a lot of soulmates," Jeremy said. "Not everyone does. There are people in my town who think it means there's something wrong with me. Maybe Ulrich's parents are like that."

"But that's ridiculous!" Odd complained.

"Maybe it is, but if it is like that, we'll have to take care of him." William said, looking sadly over at Ulrich's spot. "He's ours. We'll have to protect him."


	3. A Spontaneous Meeting

**Chapter 3 is finally here! And for once, it isn't Ulrich centric! I hope y'all enjoy and hopefully I'll be posting the next chapter for one of my fics soon. **

There was a moment of complete silence as they all thought of this. "Oh, I asked my parents. They said there was a girl in my body, but she had amnesia. She didn't even know her own name, and was completely confused about everything. She did nothing but ask questions."

"Well that's not good," Odd said, looking alarmed.

"At least she's alive," Jeremy sighed in relief. "That also explains why we body swapped."

"Because she's sick too?" Yumi hazarded a guess.

"Yeah. Not sick enough to send us into perpetual body swapping, but just enough that a particularly bad illness will displace us all."

"Well that's just great." William muttered, unable to keep from glancing over to where Ulrich usually sat. "I just hope two of us don't get a cold or something at the same time."

"We can certainly hope." Jeremy agreed. "Do you remember anything William? From when you were sleeping?" William shook his head.

"Nothing. It was like a dreamless sleep, there's absolutely nothing I can remember about it. I don't think there's anything _to_ remember."

"That's troubling," Jeremy said, looking over at the almost dead space that Aelita was meant to inhabit. "I don't honestly know what could be causing that. Even a coma would show some signs of life unless she was too mentally damaged to function, but we know that isn't the case." Jeremy ran a hand through his hair in agitation. "I don't really know a whole lot about what else could be causing this. I only looked up different types of comas because that seemed the most likely... but at any rate, I have no idea where Aelita is. I wish I did." They lapsed into silence, all thinking, before they finally were roused from it.

"When do you think we'll meet?" Odd asked. "You know, for real."

"I don't know. I think that's sort of the point." William said with a roll of his eyes.

"Well yeah, but since we can meet like this, we can sort of coordinate it, right?"

"Odd, we can't just decide we're going to meet." Yumi glared at Odd, who shrank back a bit. "There's a reason it hasn't happened yet, and you have to respect that! It'll happen when it happens. No sooner, no later."

"I have to agree," Jeremy said with a frown. "Forcing these things doesn't actually work, you know that, right? People- hundreds, probably thousands of people- have tried, and absolutely none of them have succeeded in meeting in predetermined meets. There is literally something out there stopping it from happening."

"Yeah, have you heard some of the stories?" William said with some amusement, "They think that's the reason for the attack on the subway last year, actually, because a couple admitted to trying to find each other prematurely, and one of them was one of the witnesses and the other couldn't get close because, you know, stalled trains and the like."

"Let's not cause any accidents trying to find each other too early, hmm?" Jeremy said mildly, though the look he gave Odd was very pointed. "It'll happen when it happens." Not too long after, they woke from their dream and went back to the lives they knew.

They never told Ulrich about their discussion on him, as they felt no reason to do so, and after a while, it really slipped their minds. They did tell Ulrich the theory on Aelita though, so he at least knew that much. They continued to meet each other in dreams on and off for quite a while, always wondering when they were meant to meet, talking about the things that happened in their lives absentmindedly, as well as getting to know each other's pasts.

"Oh you live in Italy! ...You know, that explains a lot, actually."

"So you were born in Japan? That's cool. Wish I was born somewhere else, but no, I'm from France, never been out of the country in my life. My parents aren't big travelers."

"I might have been born in Germany, possibly? I don't know. Dad is really weird about talking about it, but I've grown up in France."

"Scotland? Where is Scotland? Isn't that- I was going to say 'in the United Kingdom' William, please calm down a bit."

"I'm an only child, and it's probably going to stay that way. I don't think my mother can have any more children, actually, but I don't know for sure or anything."

"Siblings suck. I've got a little brother, and that is more than enough."

"My parents might have thought of giving me a sibling if I hadn't been... me."

"Mother refuses to have any more children, and father only wanted a son, so... it's just me."

"I'm the youngest of six- yeah, six!- and I'm the only boy. It sucks, let me tell you-"

And so it continued, for quite a long time. They got to know each other, learned to care for each other over the course of another year and a half. That was when Jeremy and Yumi ran into each other, completely unexpectedly. Jeremy was being taken to Kadic academy for a tour, because his parents were thinking of sending him there for the next school year. He spotted her as his father drove past one of the houses, and he shouted, "Dad, stop the car!" the car slammed to a stop as his father hit the brakes in surprise. Jeremy jolted very far forward as he was already unbuckling himself, but unhindered he opened the door and vaulted out of the car, straight into a highly amused Yumi's arms.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed Jeremy?" she scolded as she pulled him to her. Though not normally one for a lot of touching, Yumi felt the inexplicable need to hold Jeremy close, if only for a moment. Based on the fact that Jeremy was happily hanging off of her, she'd guess the feeling was as mutual as it felt instinctual.

"Sorry! I just saw you and I couldn't believe it!" He grinned up at her. "So you live here?"

"Yeah," Yumi gestured behind her. "This would be the Ishiyama household, in all its glory." Despite her words there was a hint of pride in her tone.

"Who's this Jeremy?" His parents came up behind him, his father having safely parked the car, presumably. Before Jeremy could say anything, Yumi smiled and addressed them.

"Mr. Belpois, Mrs. Belpois! It's nice to meet you while in my own body."

"Oh Yumi!" Jeremy's mother positively beamed as she went forward to hug the girl even while Jeremy was still in her arms. "It's so good to meet you in person."

"The same," she said politely, before she pushed Jeremy away a bit now that the initial call for closeness had subsided. "I'm not much of a hugger, so if you could let go now Jeremy..."

"Oh!" Jeremy blushed, not having realized that he'd been gripping Yumi's shirt a little bit awkwardly. He let go of her and stepped back.

"So what are you doing here? I take it you you're not moving in?" Yumi asked dryly. They shook their heads.

"No, we were looking into having Jeremy attend Kadic Academy." His father answered.

"Really? I'm going to Kadic right now." Yumi said in pleased surprise. She had hoped before that she'd meet the others at Kadic.

"Really!" Jeremy's mother said delightedly. "Oh you must tell us more about it." Before Yumi answered, a call came from inside of the house.

"Yumi, what are you doing?" Hiroki peaked outside the front door. "Hey, who are you?"

"Mind your own business Hiroki," Yumi turned to glare at her brother.

"I don't see why I have to when you're talking to people in front of the house." He shouted back.

"Hiroki, stop shouting, it's rude." Yumi's mother came to the door and when she saw that Yumi was talking to people she didn't know, stepped forward watchfully. "Yumi, who are these people?"

"This is the Belpois family, oka-san," Yumi said, her tone more respectful if still a little irritated. Her mother's eyes lit up.

"Is that so? Hiroki, go get your father." She gestured to her son who was still in the doorway to the house, stepping forward to introduce herself. "I'm Akako Ishiyama, Yumi's mother, such a pleasure."

"The pleasure is ours," Jeremy's father said pleasantly. "We had your daughter when she body swapped, you've got a well behaved girl."

"Thank you," Yumi's mother said, looking quite pleased. She placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "You must be Jeremy." She said as she addressed him.

"Yes ma'am," he said, his smile a little twitchy but his color back to normal.

"You look younger than I thought any of Yumi's soulmates would be." Hiroki piped up from behind his mother, his father in tow. "You don't look that much older than me."

"Hiroki, do you have to be so rude?" Yumi said as she tried to hit him behind the head. She was stopped by her mother's glare, though she didn't spare her brother the subtle kick on the leg that both of her parent's missed. Introductions were quickly gone through, and the Belpois family was invited inside.

"Actually, we have an appointment to speak with the Headmaster of Kadic Academy, and if we don't leave soon, we'll be late." Jeremy's mother said apologetically.

"Yumi attends Kadic, and Hiroki will be when he is old enough. Perhaps after your appointment, we could dine together?" Yumi's mother kept a warm look on her face as she addressed the smaller family. Looks were exchanged, before an agreement reached.

"That'd be lovely," Jeremy's mother said. They exchanged goodbyes before Jeremy was lead back to the car, waving frantically at Yumi, who waved back amused.

"Can you believe it? I can't believe it! I got to meet Yumi! The others are going to be so jealous that we've met!" Jeremy was babbling, and his parents were both pleased and worried.

"We're very happy for you Jeremy, but perhaps next time, you could wait until the car is stopped to exit it." His father said pointedly. Jeremy hung his head sheepishly.

"Sorry, I was just really excited." The rest of the ride was spent talking excitedly about what would happen at dinner that night. The visit to Kadic was overshadowed by Jeremy's excitement over having met Yumi in real life, though that didn't stop him from loving the opportunities the school provided either. Later that evening, the Belpois family was introduced to a traditional Japanese meal, which included learning how to use chopsticks for Jeremy, who had never tried before.

"Like this, Jeremy" Yumi adjusted Jeremy's fingers on the chopsticks, "you're trying to hold the food, not stab it." He snorted in amusement but managed to get his fingers into the proper position. Their parents looked on in obvious amusement, though Jeremy was so focused he was oblivious to them and Yumi was purposely ignoring their looks. Once he had finally gotten the hang of it, the questions began.

"So Yumi, how do you like Kadic Academy?" Jeremy's mother asked. Yumi shrugged.

"It's alright. The classes are usually pretty good and the teachers aren't mean or anything. The students aren't usually very bad that I've seen."

"Don't you have any friends at school?" Jeremy's father asked.

"Nope," Yumi shrugged, "I just didn't connect with anyone. It doesn't really bother me."

"How old are you Jeremy?" Yumi's father asked. When Jeremy answered and they realized Jeremy was nearly two years younger than Yumi, questions of his schooling came about. This, much to Jeremy's dismay, led to his parents politely if pointedly bragging about their genius son. Jeremy found himself scared of Yumi's reaction, and he didn't dare look at her. He needn't have worried though- she grabbed his hand under the table and gave it a squeeze, indicating her solidarity- and her parents made sounds of delight. More questions followed, their parents getting to know each other and each other's children.

It was ages before Yumi and Jeremy got to sneak away into the backyard. Hiroki tried to sneak out with them but Yumi's mother, ever with a mother's eagle eye, called him back to help with the dishes. Yumi and Jeremy sat outside, side by side but not really looking at each other. It was just _weird_ to suddenly be so close, to be here in person. "Your family seems nice." Jeremy finally said after what felt like ages of awkward silence.

"Yours too," Yumi said. They fell back into uncertain silence once more. This time Yumi was the one to break it. "Why were you so worried, before? About people knowing you're a genius?" She really did look over at him now, though he refused to move his gaze towards her.

"People tend not to be very... supportive of my intelligence, once they find out. I mean adults, yeah, all the time," he rushed to continue when he realized how strange that sounded, "but most other kids seem to feel, I don't know, intimidated?" he shrugged.

"But we already knew you were smart," Yumi pointed out. It wasn't exactly something that any of them had really been able to avoid discovering, given the way Jeremy talked about things.

"Yeah smart, not a 'genius' with all the fanfare and adult gushing that comes with it. I mean you're intelligent, but I bet school officials don't parade you around like a prize." Jeremy scowled and Yumi didn't really have anything to say about that, because he was right.

She finally settled on saying "I'm sorry," and he just shrugged. That... kind of pissed Yumi off, actually. "Hey!" she exclaimed, getting a wide eyed look as Jeremy finally looked her in the eyes. "I know it sucks and all, but that's no reason to be down on yourself. Do you think any of us really care that much that you're a genius? No. We care that you're Jeremy. So buck up!" She gave him a harsh nudge in the shoulder earning an absolutely bewildered look from Jeremy... before he burst into laughter. The effect was contagious, and soon both were laughing, falling all over themselves in their utterly unexplainable glee.

"Thanks, I needed that." Jeremy said with a sigh. His head was leaning on Yumi's shoulder, but she didn't seem to mind.

"No problem. Besides, if you go to Kadic, you can hang out with me. Not all the time since we won't have classes together, but you know, at lunch and stuff." She nudged her shoulder a bit, not enough to dislodge him, but enough he felt it. When he tried to move, thinking she was pushing him off, she rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around him muttering "don't be an idiot."

"Do you think... do you think that's where we're meant to meet? At Kadic Academy?" Yumi hummed thoughtfully, knowing the 'we' referred not just to the two of them.

"Maybe. We won't know until we meet, but... it is a boarding school, and your parents did mention you'd be boarding... I don't think it's impossible... but I don't think we should push it either." She sighed. "This is going to be so weird, because we can't tell the others where we've met, really, and we've never really had to keep actual secrets from each other before."

"It won't be for too long, hopefully." Jeremy found himself curling closer to her. "When we all get together... that'll be great won't it? We'll never be alone again, not really."

"Not really, no," she echoed, though she was slightly more apprehensive than Jeremy. Soulmates didn't always work out. Some fought, some divorced, some abused, some died, some never met, some met only briefly- soulmates didn't promise happiness, or even love - not always. She could hope, certainly, but that didn't mean she didn't worry. So many people had their hearts broken because they hadn't remembered that things didn't always end up perfectly.

Not everyone got a happily ever after with their soulmate.

"What are you thinking Yumi?" Jeremy interrupted her morbid thoughts. "You look upset."

"I'm thinking... I'm thinking about what would happen if we weren't so lucky." She admitted, because if you can't be honest with your soulmate, than who could you even be honest with?

"It's a possibility," Jeremy admitted quietly after a moment's hesitation, "but I actually think we have a better chance than most to actually have things work out."

"What do you mean?" Yumi asked, surprised.

"Well, bonds of six are rare. I mean really, REALLY rare. They have hypothesized that there's only one every century to be born. It's kind of a big deal, actually. Hexacordes-"

"Hexacordes?"

"-I didn't make up the word, okay? Hexacordes are never unfulfilled. I've checked- there has literally never been a recorded unfulfilled Hexacorde. It has never happened. Some people postulate it's because they're destined for greatness or some such ridiculousness- which probably isn't true because I've read about at least two where they did nothing but be normal people- but the bonds are special."

"So you think we'll find everyone? Even Aelita?"

"There isn't a doubt in my mind," He said it with confidence, leveled his eyes to Yumi's to show he really believed. She couldn't help but feel herself believing along with him.

"Well, I can't guarantee that there won't even be a doubt in my mind, but... if you believe it, then I suppose I can, too." She grinned at him, and he grinned right back.

"It's not going to be perfect though," he with a sigh. "With so many of us, it's going to be a lot of work."

"Yeah, but that's true of all relationships." Yumi reminded him. "It all takes work."

They stayed outside talking for a little while more before they were called inside, since the Belpois family needed to get home and it was going to be a long drive. There were promises all around to keep in touch, and Yumi and Jeremy finished the day thrilled at the unexpected turn of events. Both ended up going to sleep thinking about being together at Kadic academy, and were unsurprised to find themselves meeting again in their dream world. They were however very surprised to find Ulrich there as well.

"Ulrich, what are you doing here?" Yumi exclaimed in surprise. Ulrich raised an eyebrow.

"Well, last I checked this was where our dreams connected."

"I think what Yumi actually means is, were you thinking about the same thing we were?"

"Oh, I don't know. I was thinking of what it would be like to go to boarding school- dad's sending me to Kadic Academy because the Principal is a family friend or whatever." Ulrich was confused when Yumi grinned and Jeremy laughed.

"See what I mean Yumi? It'll all work out. I guess we'll see you first day of school then." Jeremy said, grinning.

"Wait, do you mean...?" Ulrich asked, sitting up. Both nodded.

"Jeremy and I just met in person today, as his parents were taking him to tour Kadic Academy, which I already attend." Yumi couldn't help but grin, and Ulrich shot across the pond between them to pull the two into a hug.

"This is going to be great!" Jeremy enthused. "We'll study together and eat lunch together and hang out together... it'll be like having... I mean, it'll be great!"


	4. Holding Pattern

**Merry Christmas (if you celebrate) and happy holidays/end of year/whatever you celebrate that I don't want to misspell if you don't. I'm sorry I've been pretty much MIA for a couple months. Unfortunately college this semester really took it out of me! I had absolutely no time to write, but fortunately, once finals were over I was able to get some writing done, in the hopes of giving you guys a holiday treat. I'm hoping that I'll be able to give you guys more updates over my winter break, but I'm also going to be working, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have to write. **

**(UNIQUE COMMENTS) I've been struggling with this one, and I'm not too happy about the ending of the chapter. I'll probably write it out a bit more later, but now things in this story should be able to get moving some more. I hope you enjoy it regardless of my opinion.**

The entirety of Kadic academy was well aware that Ulrich Stern and Jeremy Belpois were friends of Yumi Ishiyama, and by extension, each other. Yumi made it clear the first day of school that she was waving off her own peers in favor of the boys in the grade below (not that anyone had been especially vying for her interest). It caused some gossip, of course, and some unwanted attention. It was also noted that all three made an effort to hide their soulmate's names. This was an even greater fuel to the gossip, as Yumi had never been that particular the year before.

"Why is everyone so rude?" Ulrich lamented when another girl had tried flirting with him. "I mean, if my soulmate really was dead, why would I want to talk about it?" They were sitting on one of the benches around the campus. Ulrich in between Jeremy and Yumi, both of whom had taken to flanking him to prevent people from bumping into him. It was really, really embarrassing. Ulrich wasn't that adverse to touch, honestly, but the three were still newly met and very careful about it.

"It is an awful way to approach someone," agreed Jeremy, "I mean, what if they'd just died recently? It'd be horrible to be reminded so soon."

"Not everyone without a mark doesn't have a soulmate," Yumi reminded them, "Some simply haven't had their soulmate born yet."

"That's worse though, isn't it?" Jeremy asked, looking sad. "It means that they'll have to wait a long time, probably even to meet. It makes you wonder if it's even worth it."

Ulrich looked away. He didn't admit to his two soulmates that he'd often thought, before, that'd he'd have rather had that problem than have too many soulmates. He didn't need to say anything for the other two to realize how he felt.

"It's okay Ulrich," Yumi said, "if you ever wished you only had one name or no name. It's okay." Ulrich didn't look at her, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. He stopped when Jeremy placed a hand over his.

"I'm sorry if I upset you Ulrich," Jeremy said, looking ashamed, "I wasn't thinking."

"No, no, it's my fault." Ulrich shook his head furiously, "I shouldn't have-"

"Don't either of you dare blame yourselves!" Yumi scolded, startling both Ulrich and Jeremy. "Really, it isn't that big of a deal. Wishing to change the amount of names on our wrist, I guarantee that everyone thinks about it at least once. We'll either glorify or abhor the way the name appears on others. It's just human nature." She patted them both, Ulrich on the shoulder and Jeremy on the leg. "Besides, we're still getting to know each other. We'll work out our comfort zones in time."

Ulrich blushed, unable to help it. Jeremy looked intrigued. "You've a way with words Yumi, anyone ever tell you that?" Yumi only shrugged. After a moment of thought Yumi searched for a change of subject.

"I really like this bench. I ever tell you guys that?" she asked them, perfectly serious.

"Er, no?" Ulrich ventured after he cast a look towards Jeremy to confirm he too had no idea what Yumi was talking about.

"I do. It's at the perfect angle to avoid getting the sun in your eyes, it just avoids the rain, it isn't _broken_\- seriously it seems to be the only one that isn't creaky or splintery- it's really the best bench. We should claim it."

"How does one claim a bench?" Jeremy looked truly interested in the response.

"You sit on it. Make people leave when you come by. Once people figure it out they'll mostly avoid it out of habit." Yumi nodded, looking pleased with herself. "No one listens when it's only one person. But with the three of us, it'll work out."

"Works for me," Ulrich said with a shrug.

"It would be a great place to program on a nice day." Jeremy agreed.

"It's settled then," Yumi said unnecessarily. They sat in silence for a few moments longer, the three of them simply enjoying each other's presence. The air had the barest hint of a floral touch to its scent, creating a peaceful effect. The three touched only some. Yumi and Jeremy laid their lightly joined hands against Ulrich's jean clad knee, and Ulrich allowed himself to be slightly unrestricted as well, one arm behind Yumi on the bench and the other gripping loosely on the side of Jeremy's shirt.

They were mostly alone, besides the stray student who moved from one building to another. School was out, after all, and a good chunk of students had headed home. The rest seemed to have drifted off elsewhere, save a few couples who were far too wrapped up in their own romances to notice the three of them.

Ulrich felt so at peace, here. He felt so cared for. He hesitated to say loved, simply because he wasn't sure he even knew what that was, but if love felt even a bit like this, he'd welcome it with open arms.

"I have to go soon," Yumi said a while later, looking apologetic. "I need to help my mother with something."

"We'll walk you to the gate, at least." Jeremy said immediately. Reluctantly, the three got up. They did not hold hands, but allowed their hands to fall freely between their bodies, to touch as they walked. They walked in silence and stopped at the gate; unwilling to say goodbye, even if only for the moment.

"Thank you," Ulrich surprised his companions by being the first to speak. "Thank you both for being so... you know..." he trailed off, rubbing the arm where his names rested.

"You're important to us Ulrich," Yumi said, "We don't want you afraid or uncomfortable."

"We're doing it because we want to," agreed Jeremy.

"Even so," Ulrich said, "Thank you."

"I told you, didn't I?" Jeremy's smile was bright and wide. "Being here, together, is going to be- and already has been- great."

William and Odd, who they connected with that night, couldn't seem to quite agree.

"I mean, I'm happy you guys are together, but I want to be there too!" Odd whined, flopping down onto his stomach with a huff. William spared him an equally sad glance.

"I've been trying to get my parents to let me go to another school, but they won't budge," William sighed. "They say there is no reason for me to change schools."

"Well, practically speaking, there isn't." Jeremy pointed out. William's only response was to look at Jeremy as though he'd lost his head while Yumi and Ulrich snickered at the two in the background.

"Any luck finding Aelita?" Odd finally asked when he'd finished sulking. The others shook their heads.

"She's not in the Kadic registry anywhere," Jeremy reported, "so I'm going to try the other schools nearby."

"Isn't that illegal?" Ulrich asked.

"Maybe, but it's for a good cause. Besides, they won't even notice I was there," Jeremy shrugged, waving it off. Ulrich still looked wary, but knew it was useless to argue the point. Jeremy tended to be quite stubborn.

"That's a little bit scary, you know that?" Yumi said to Jeremy, who grinned at her.

"We all have our skills," he said.

"Most people's skills aren't potentially criminal careers," William pointed out. Jeremy rolled his eyes.

"Please, if you think there aren't plenty of people who hack legally I've got some news for you. Besides, there are plenty of skills that could be useful in a criminal career-" Jeremy and William began to argue- good naturedly- on the legality and usefulness of hackers.

"I guess we're done talking about Aelita tonight," Odd observed. Jeremy and William were getting a little more heated, ignoring the others.

"There's little more we can do than speculate, at this point. Worrying will only stress us out," Yumi eyed Jeremy and William with amusement, shook her head. She turned to look at Odd and Ulrich again. "All will come in time, and we will be together," she wasn't sure how much she believed it, but it helped bolster them all to hear it.

"Yeah, I guess so," Ulrich agreed.

"I just don't want to wait!" Odd groaned. He flopped down onto his back while the other two laughed at him, Jeremy and William showing no signs of winding down in the background.

They had more to worry about than finding Aelita and each other, no matter what they may have actually wanted. School was quickly becoming more difficult, and the holidays were coming up, a stressful time for Ulrich. On top of that, they now had to get gifts for each other, when they had never had to do so before. It was more difficult than it might be expected to hide shopping from your bondmates, even without a full bond. They didn't feel like they knew each other well enough to understand what they wanted. In the end, they all felt like they were throwing both money and hopes around with the gifts.

Jeremy eventually settled on buying Yumi and Ulrich both books, Yumi on the most recent advancements in Japanese technology and Ulrich a comic that he thought might be entertaining. Ulrich bought Jeremy a new hard drive, figuring he could use it for something considering how much time he spent on the computer and all the things he must have saved there. For Yumi, he agonized over choices before he bought her a swiss army knife, which he had to hide from the school officials but he figured would be worth it. Yumi, after much debate, got them both personalized sets of chopsticks. It was only their first Christmas after all. They got their first Christmas present just before break.

"Hey, guys! Guess what! I got expelled!" William said excitedly. The others all looked at him with confusion.

"Are we supposed to be happy about that?" Ulrich asked. William grinned.

"Weeeeeelllll, now my parents don't have any choice but to get me into a new school. I'm going to Kadic Academy after break." Three shocked faces looked back at him.

"That's where you guys are?" Odd asked, his own grin blooming, "I bet I can get there before next year!"


End file.
